The Elements
by Softly Spoken Words
Summary: [AU, 4 part story] Excerpt from Chapter 2: He hears a rapid thudthudthudthud. It grounds him, keeps his mind here, in the present, sitting on this hard wooden chair in the library across from Kagome, with her math mumbo jumbo and her anxious leg-shaking and her thudthudthudthudding heart. And her soft lips. Damn it. He's blushing again.
1. I Water

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

* * *

I. Water

 _Friday, September 22, 2017_

The brick wall feels rugged and unforgiving against his back. What he wouldn't give to be laying in his bed right now… But he has to wait. His skin burns, body still heated from the fight. That is how she finds him—eyes closed, face twisted into a grimace, shirtless body leaning against the wall of the alley behind Quik Mart.

He hears the gurgle of a milk gallon and the clacking of heeled loafers moving closer and closer.

"Go away."

He hears her lips part. Open and close. Open and close. A small sound, barely audible to his hypersensitive ears comes out of her mouth. He wonders what she wants to say. Maybe she's going to scream.

"Go away," he snarls. " _Now_."

She hesitates for a moment and then leaves. He opens his eyes and glances at the spot she once occupied. He would scoff if he wasn't so goddamn injured. "She fuckin' forgot her milk."

He closes his eyes again. Once the blood dries, he can go home without making too much of a mess. For now, he has to wait it out.

He had won the fight but didn't escape unscathed. He feels the skin on his chest straining with each breath he takes, feels his _youki_ coursing through his veins to expedite the healing process. That tiger demoness was a piece of work, he'd give her that.

The sound of clacking disturbs his thoughts. She's back with a first aid kit in hand.

"I forgot my milk."

"Keh."

He feels her cool fingers lift his chin as she inspects for wounds around his face and neck. He looks at the wall in front of him. He isn't sure where else to look. He feels her hands flow down to his left bicep, then his forearm, then his hand. Her fingers, a hair away from the inflamed skin on his chest, follow the jagged lines carved by the tiger demoness. He hears her gulp, hears her rate quicken, feels her fingertips grow moist. Still she continues, moving swiftly but tenderly until she finds, disinfects, and dresses all his wounds. Even tiny scrapes, which would heal in the next couple of hours, have a bandage covering them.

Part of him wants to thank her. A big part. Instead he says, "Don't forget your milk."

"Thanks," she half-says, half-whispers. "I'm Kagome."

Brown meets gold, and he has a hard time remembering if he tells her his name or not.

* * *

He doesn't move right away so she waits with him that night. He tells himself he only moves closer so her weak human body won't freeze to death.

He learns that she lives at the Higurashi Shrine. That she has a younger brother named Sota and lives with her mom and gramps. That she likes the color green. That she hates math.

He tells her that he fights. That it's kinda like a job. That he has a bastard half-brother and an uncle. That he likes the color red. That he doesn't like school, and school doesn't like him.

He tells himself to enjoy normalcy while it lasts because half-breeds like him don't get moments like this often.

He walks her home. He wants to make sure she doesn't forget her milk.

* * *

 _Sunday, October 8, 2017_

Somehow they meet again. Kagome bumps into him as they both walk through the sliding doors of Hakurei Hospital. She's there to return her completed volunteer forms. He's there to visit his uncle.

Somehow her plans change and include visiting his uncle, too.

They take the elevator to the youkai geriatric ward on the tenth floor. He grunts a greeting at the nurse in Myoga's room. Old flea is still asleep. A quiet alarm goes off, playing a pleasant little song, alerting the nurse that it's time for Myoga to be given his hourly antibiotic. The nurse flinches upon hearing the alarm but doesn't move from her seat.

Inuyasha watches her movements. When it's clear she has no plans of standing up, he grows livid. "Why the fuck," he grits out, "are you not giving him his antibiotics?"

The nurse stammers, "I-I was given instructions by Mr. O-Onigumo that—"

"That fucking _bastard_! Toying with us for no fucking reason, goddamnit!" He clenches his fists so tightly his claws draw blood. He turns to the security camera in the room and flips it off. "Fuck you, Naraku! I'll fuckin' kill you the next time I see you!"

"I-I'm sorry sir, I just h-have—"

"Get the _fuck_ out of my face," he snarls and she scurries out of the room. He breathes heavily in an attempt to calm down.

He feels bad that Kagome is here, that she's witnessing all this. She has no clue, no fuckin' clue, about Naraku and the fighting and Myoga and the accident, and he intends on keeping it that way. There's no reason for her to be dragged into his fucked up mess.

She doesn't ask. Doesn't reprimand or push. She simply puts her hand on his shoulder. He feels her fingers trickling down his arm until she reaches his hand and pries his clawed fingers loose, replacing them with her hand. The smoothness of her skin soothes the angry, red crescent marks in his palms. His breathing gradually returns to normal.

"Thank you, Inuyasha," Myoga finally says.

"Keh. I'll make sure you get your antibiotics, geezer."

"I know. You always do." Turning to Kagome, Myoga says, "I'm sorry you had to witness that, my dear. I'm Myoga, Inuyasha's uncle. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"It's alright. I'm sorry you didn't get your antibiotics. I'm Kagome, Inuyasha's friend."

Inuyasha can't help the way his breath quickens or the way he tunes out the rest of their conversation.

 _Kagome, Inuyasha's friend_. She has no clue, no fuckin' clue about what that does to him, and he intends on keeping it that way.

* * *

 _Friday, October 13, 2017_

At his fight against Koga on Friday, he sees her in the crowd. He's not sure how his eyes find hers so quickly.

She waits for him afterwards. He walks her home. A voice deep within the recesses of his mind sings quietly, _twice is a coincidence, but three times is a…_ He won't let it finish that thought.

He learns that her dad passed away when she was young, but according to her mom, her parents were terribly in love. Her mom has been alone since, but she isn't lonely.

He tells her that his mom was human and his father was a powerful dog demon. He tells her he never got a chance to meet his old man. That's all he says. It's more than he's ever said to anyone.

At his fight on Saturday, he sees her as soon as she enters the warehouse. He tries to focus on the fight but his mind wanders to her. Her and her brown eyes and her smile and her voice and her laugh and her touch.

That night he learns that Kagome and her brother got into an argument earlier that day. She fumes nearly the whole walk home. Something about Sota ate the rest of the oden that was clearly labeled for her in the fridge and he always eats her food without asking and never replaces it. He can't help the mirthful smirk on his face.

At his fight the following Friday, she doesn't enter the warehouse until halfway through the match. He's battling Gatenmaru, a moth demon, whose venomous web has gotten the best of his fire rat robe one too many times. Gatenmaru punches his right cheek, and Inuyasha's face whips towards the crowd from the force. "Ha ha!" The moth demon boasts. "Take that half-breed!" For a flash, just a second, he swears he sees Kagome's eyes glimmering with tears.

He beats Gatenmaru. Even tears one of his wings off.

He tells himself in his changing room that he's gonna tell her to stop coming to these fights. That he has no idea how she found out about it but he plans to put an end to it once and for all. That girls like her don't belong in places like this. That she should just go back home to her nice and normal life, go back to hating math and bickering with her brother and living in a shrine with a family.

When he walks around the corner to where she's waiting for him, where she has waited for him the last two fights, he steels his heart against her and her brown eyes and her smile and her voice—

"Inuyasha!" She exclaims, and he hears the joy and relief in her voice. "You're alright! You did it!"

All logic leaves his mind, and he crushes his lips to hers.

That night he learns that she feels like a brook. Soft and sweet.

* * *

Part I of IV.

 **Author's Note** : This is basically a revamped, condensed, Inuyasha-POV version of Fighting. It's my way of making sure the story (albeit in a different version) still gets to you in a completed form. Please check my bio for a longer note explaining recent decisions about my writing and stories. Let me know what you think, and (if you celebrate) happy holidays!

With love, SSW.


	2. II Earth

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

* * *

II. Earth

 _Thursday, December 12, 2017_

Inuyasha has never enjoyed the library. It is always too quiet for him. There is too much silence for his thoughts to fill; he needs noise.

Funny how this time, and the seven times before, he doesn't seem to mind.

He is in tune to the sounds of the girl across from him. The muttering of mathematical nonsense underneath her breath. The constant _swish swish_ produced by the anxious shaking of her leg. The beating of her heart.

She must feel his eyes on her because she looks up at him and smiles. He smiles back. Or at least he tries to. Maybe it was only with his eyes. Smiling is not a strength of his.

She giggles and leans across the table to kiss his nose. He blinks stupidly, face flushing pink.

"Keh," he mutters, looking elsewhere. What the hell is she doing kissing him? Doesn't she have some studying to do?

He hears a rapid _thudthudthudthud._ It grounds him, keeps his mind here, in the present, sitting on this hard wooden chair in the library across from Kagome, with her math mumbo jumbo and her anxious leg-shaking and her _thudthudthudthud_ ding heart.

And her soft lips.

Damn it. He's blushing again.

* * *

 _Monday, December 25, 2017_

Inuyasha isn't sure how he got dragged into this. The ugly sweater wearing, tree decorating, hot chocolate drinking, gift exchanging, warm wishing, Christmas TV special watching just feels... odd. Myoga must sense his discomfort, because the old flea keeps shooting him knowing glances and chuckling softly to himself. What a bastard. He probably doesn't give a shit about Christmas either.

"Merry Christmas, Myoga! This is from Inuyasha and me."

Myoga unwraps his gift. "It's an electric blanket, so you can stay warm during these winter months. You can adjust the temperature too," Kagome explains.

"Thank you, dear. And thank you, Inuyasha. What a wonderful gift to receive."

"Keh. It was all Kagome."

Myoga's medicine alarm rings, and a nurse enters the room to help administer his medication. "Oh how sweet is this! You both even decorated the room. You have a wonderful family, Mr. Myoga."

"I am a lucky man, Megumi. Merry Christmas, dear."

Before the nurse leaves the room, Kagome pulls out a Polaroid camera from her purse. "Megumi, would you mind taking a picture of us?"

"Of course not. Get in close!" Inuyasha can smell the earthy scent of pine tree in Kagome's hair. He decides he rather likes it. For today, at least.

"1, 2, 3... Cheese!" Hopefully he smiled. He tried to manage a small one, but smiling really isn't a strength of his.

Kagome takes the camera and shakes the Polaroid picture. When it finishes developing, she carefully balances it on the leaves of the fake miniature Christmas tree she bought to decorate Myoga's room. "In case you ever miss our beautiful faces, you can look here." She giggles. "As if you don't see us enough!"

"Oh! Speaking of beautiful faces, I have a little something for you both, too."

He pulls out a wrapped gift from behind his pillow. Kagome grabs it excitedly and starts to tear off the wrapping paper. Inuyasha is curious but feigns disinterest.

"A photo album? Is this a young Inuyasha?!"

"Yes, it is," he chuckles. "He was a rather dashing young boy. I don't know what happened."

"What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean, ya old geezer?"

Kagome and Myoga spend the rest of the visit flipping through the old pictures. Inuyasha feels Kagome's eyes on him when they see an old picture of Inuyasha's mother and father. She doesn't ask who they are, and Myoga doesn't offer an explanation. They continue looking. He feels a sense of relief. Kagome laughs at the immature versions of facial expressions, namely scowls and smirks, that she has grown accustomed to seeing. She coos at his ears and eyes and hair. She calls him "cute." Cute? Keh! He was a fierce half-demon. There was no potential for cuteness in him.

When they finish looking through the album, Myoga says to Kagome, "I know this goes without saying, but do take good care of it. It's my most prized possession." Inuyasha tries to ignore the way Myoga's voice sounds choked up.

* * *

 _Wednesday, January 3, 2018_

He tells himself he should have seen it coming. That for half-demons like him, peace never lasts long. That his existence is cursed. That shit like this is expected.

These thoughts don't make him feel any better.

The old flea had been bedridden for years. It was no way to live, Inuyasha knows. Even though he knows it was a matter of time, the news still hits him like a bag of bricks.

He feels floored. Stunned. Out of breath. Disconnected from his body. He signs the paperwork. Nods dumbly at the nurse as she tries to explain the cause for Myoga's death.

 _Myoga_. She would never understand. She knew Myoga as he existed on his patient file. Flea demon. Bedridden. Paralyzed from snake venom. Antibiotics each hour, on the dot. She would never know the way Myoga raised him. Protected him as best he could. Forgave him. Died slowly for him.

 _Dead_. The guilt consumes each of his senses. It numbs him to the nurse's voice, to the sterile white of the hospital room, to the now empty hospital bed, to the fresh scent of disinfectant, and to the fading scent of someone he once knew.

He feels a pressure on his back, arms snaking around his waist, bringing him back to earth. It barely registers in his mind that Kagome is hugging him.

He leans some of his weight against her, tries to bury himself in the sound, smell, feel of her. He stays that way until he can breathe again.

She doesn't let go.

* * *

 _Wednesday, January 17, 2018_

At some point during the fight, he loses consciousness. He feels his claws elongating, his senses sharpening, instincts taking over. The last time this happened was years ago when he had just started fighting. His demon blood resurges with a vengeance.

 _Kill._ _Blood._ _Destroy._

 _More._

He can't stop. He craves the fear of his opponent, lusts for their blood.

 _Kill._ _Blood._ _Destroy._

 _More._

It repeats like a mantra in his mind. He can't stop. Not until the opponent in front of him is unrecognizable, drowning in their own blood. And even then, he is not satisfied.

 _Kill._ _Blood._ _Destroy._

 _More._

They have to restrain him. They learned after the last time. This time, they put purifying handcuffs on him before dragging him away into his changing room. They learned the hard way that a certain amount of violence can be entertaining, but too much can quickly devolve into terror. Terror is not profitable. They couldn't make the same mistake again.

When he awakens, he has to reorient himself to his surroundings. It doesn't take much for him to piece together what happened; the stench of blood on his claws is a dead giveaway. Someone must have removed the handcuffs while he was unconscious. He stands up, wanting nothing more than to go home and shower, but his body threatens to give way. Without the adrenaline from his demon blood, he feels weakened from all the blood he lost, but his feet seem to move of their own accord, with one destination in mind.

When he jumps up to the window of Kagome's bedroom, he nearly collapses onto the floor, but there she is. As she always is. She is unyielding, seems to bear the dead weight of his body effortlessly. She somehow manages to grab a pillow and lower him carefully to the carpet. She cleans and bandages his wounds as much as she can. He is too tired to argue and too grateful to speak. So instead he concentrates on Kagome. On the sound, smell, feel of her. Her even breathing. Her lavender lotion. The pads of her fingers as they smooth over each bandage.

He concentrates on the sound, smell, feel of her because it grounds him, keeps his mind here, in the present, in the pinkest bedroom he has ever seen, cradled in the strong arms of a girl who loves Christmas.

* * *

Part II of IV.

 **Author's Note:** Feedback is always appreciated. Thank you to the people who have stuck with this through all its versions and for the review/favorites/follows. It brings my heart so much joy.

With love, SSW.


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